


If You Look, You Will Die

by metalavocadoes



Series: The Boys are Here [1]
Category: Bird Box (2018), Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: Bird Box, Crying, Death, Fake Character Death, M/M, Men Crying, Nightmares, Ryan Bergara Loves Shane Madej, Scary Movies, Shane Madej Is Shook, Trans Ryan, he didn't deserve to die, is this a shitpost, it feels like a shitpost, justice for greg, netflix, there's no chill part they're literally just watching netflix
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-16
Updated: 2019-02-16
Packaged: 2019-10-11 04:28:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17439959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/metalavocadoes/pseuds/metalavocadoes
Summary: Shane’s not sure why Bird Box is as popular as it is. When Ryan practically forces him to watch it he figures it probably would’ve happened eventually anyway.One of the deaths, however, is a little more upsetting than Shane would like to admit.





	If You Look, You Will Die

**Author's Note:**

> ryan bergara looks like the best character from bird box what more do i need to say. also MAJOR SPOILERS FOR BIRD BOX 2018

Shane cannot, for the life of him, understand why Bird Box is so popular.

Granted, he hasn’t seen the film, but there aren’t any prestigious awards or amazing reviews that would give it the popularity it has. It’s a Netflix original, which are notoriously average, there aren’t any breathtaking special effects (although from what he’s seen the effect on the eyes is gorgeous) and it’s only a solid 62% on Rotten Tomatoes. He’s chalked it up to memes. Because there are many, many memes of Bird Box. 

When Ryan says he wants to watch it, Shane says, “Go ahead, Ry, no one’s stopping you.” Ryan huffs and tells him they should watch it together, and before Shane can back out he’s being dragged downstairs and sat on the couch, and the Netflix homepage is shown proudly on the TV. Ryan ducks into the kitchen and comes back with a bowl of golden popcorn, and suddenly they’re watching Bird Box. 

Shane isn’t a fan of the timelines: it’s confusing to be jumping back and forth. He’s half expecting Boy and Girl to be running with Sandra Bullock into the house of refugees. And, well, who can blame him for being a bit disappointed when he finds out Sandra Bullock and Sarah Paulson are sisters rather than wives?

He's surprised when he sees John Malkovich. He'd been hoping for some quick flashbacks to provide context, but clearly, that isn't the case. John Malkovich is too expensive to have for just a few quick scenes.

And wow, BD Wong, too? That's almost shocking. The man from Law and Order and Mulan shouldn't be in a movie as simple as this. And it's also just starting to hit him how much Wong looks like Ryan. Ryan's got distinguishing features and a unique face, obviously, but the similarities are uncanny. He refrains from saying anything for fear of coming across like that one guy who thinks all Asians look the same.

So when BD Wong, or Greg, dies, he's a little upset. He'd come across as a good, well-written character, and Shane was hoping that he would be the saving grace of this movie. Why would the rest of the group leave him alone? Dumb move on their part. 

His distaste must show on his face because Ryan furrows his brow at him and frowns. "You okay?"

"Huh?" Shane blinks and realizes he must've zoned out a bit. "Yeah, just a bit disappointed that Wong died."

"His name's Greg."

"Yeah, but his real name is BD Wong."

"But his name in the movie is Greg."

"This movie's dumb."

"Your face is dumb."

They leave it at that. 

\----

Shane remains unimpressed throughout the rest of the movie. The dialogue is so stiff and uncomfortable that he cringes before someone even opens their mouth. Ryan seems to enjoy it, though, and somehow the cheap scares make him jump. Shane casually wraps an arm around his shoulders and he instantly leans into Shane's chest. He looks up at him with those big doe eyes and Shane's heart pangs because _god damn,_ this man is so precious. He'd give literally anything for him.

He doesn't consider himself very affected by the movie consciously, but it's when he and Ryan are getting into bed and Ryan smiles sickeningly sweet that the similarity between him and that guy in the movie show. With the way Ryan's laying, it's easy for his brain to conjure up the image of a dark stain beneath his head and the light in his eyes replaced by something cold. 

Shane shrugs it off and kisses his lover goodnight.

But for him, it is not at all a good night. 

He's in that office, in that house in that neighborhood, and on the floor, there's a body. At first, he thinks, 'well, that guy had a rough end,' but then he looks closer and it's not just a body. 

It's Ryan.

It's like he's looking through another person's eyes as the puddle beneath his head grows larger, as the once jovial, comforting eyes twinkling with mirth stare at him with not even a glint of life. It's as if someone splattered some dark ink on a page, the darkest ink they could find, and made that ink the same color as this dead man's eyes. 

His mouth is slightly ajar. His lips are tinted blue and they look chapped and dry. They aren't soft and plump and kissable anymore.

To put it simply, he looks dead.

And it's very obvious he is. 

A little trickle of blood leaks from his mouth, pooling on the floor after it slides across his face. Shane registers his vessel dropping to the ground and checking for a pulse. He doesn't find one. 

And then Shane wakes up. 

He jerks and inhales sharply through his nose, trying his best not to scream, but a whimper slips past his lips and his eyes begin to moisten. He whips his head around and when he sees the bright red digits of the alarm clock and feels the soft blankets against his body, he realizes he's awake. What he dreamed wasn't real. Impossible, really.

He turns on his side and finds Ryan, eyes shut, brows knitted together. Shane would probably think this was normal any other night, but right now he's panicking and that idiotic movie is his reality and before he can think about it, he's shaking Ryan awake and pleading silently that his eyes will be their usual chocolate. 

"Shane?" Ryan says quietly, voice rough with sleep. 

He sounds okay, he sounds okay, he's okay. 

"I-I," Shane starts, but then logic sets in and he realizes that he's being an idiot. It was just a dream, and it's obvious Ryan is fine.

So why is he still so scared?

"Bad dream?" 

Shane nods. "Y-yeah, pretty bad."

"What happened?"

"You, uh," Shane swallows deeply. "You died. But like. Not how most people die in nightmares."

Ryan squints at him in the darkness. "What do you mean?"

"Remember in Bird Box? When Greg died?"

"What does that have to do with-"

"You died like Greg. My dumb brain made Greg's dumb dead face into your dead face and I freaked out."

Ryan's face softens at that. "Shane, that, uh, that's pretty shit. Come here?"

He opens his arms wide, and Shane falls into them instantly. Ryan squeezes and he inhales deeply, the smells of musk and body wash filling his nose. 

"Is that Old Spice?" he jokes, but his voice comes out wet and weak. 

Ryan gives a little laugh. "Yep. The manliest shower gel out there."

"You're the manliest man out there, let's be real."

Ryan pulls back and grins at him. Shane leans down and presses a kiss to his lips, sweet and innocent, and when he pulls away and sees the light shining in Ryan's eyes brighter than ever his chest aches.

"I'm glad you're not dead."

He laughs. Ryan _laughs._ Well, it may not have been the most _romantic_ phrase, but it was _sentimental._ With perfect delivery, he might add. 

There's a mischievous look in the younger man's eyes. "Guess Bird Box affected you more than you thought, huh?"

Shane kisses him again. 

"Shut up, Ryan."

**Author's Note:**

> i'd like to point out that a) i was sick while writing half of this so if it's weird and loopy i wasn't high i promise i just had a cold and b) i don't really hate bird box but it's not a very good movie. bd wong/greg deserved better. #justiceforgreg.


End file.
